About Me

Welcome to Ice Cream Before Dinner! I started baking during my 1st year of college to send care packages to my high school sweet heart (they always say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!). Well, I guess my treats worked because 8 years later, we're now married. :) But I am still addicted to baking! This site is my way of keeping track of all the goodies I make in the kitchen.
Thanks for visiting! :)

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Rainbow Cookies

These favorites were made back on Christmas Eve/Christmas. I've made them consistently for Christmas a few years running now. They are all over the place in New York Italian bakeries, but here in Florida, they're rather scarce. Even when you do find them here, they're just not the same. When done right, they are moist, almondy, dense, and super, super delicious. Even those who don't like almond, chocolate, or jelly in their desserts love these cookies. The reason I don't make them more often is that they are a heckkk of a lot of work. This year though, with my new food processor, and my new set of 3 rectangular 9x13 cake pans with square corners, they were a leeeettle bit easier... though they still took hours and hours over the course of 2 days. The end result, though, is always worth it.

*Almond paste is common ingredient in Italian desserts, but if you are unlucky like me and your area either doesn't carry it at all, or only carries 7 ounce tubes, rather than waste another whole container just to get that one extra ounce...this can substitute for that missing ounce: slightly less than 3 tablespoons (a little less than a quarter cup) of blanched slivered almonds ground to a paste with 2 teaspoons sugar.

**Not the traditional flavor, but it’s what I like to use...also usually the kind I have on hand is of the chunky variety so I just run it through the food processor first.

Directions:Grease (3) 9x13x2 pans (preferably not the glass kind, like pyrex, that are rounded at the corners. Square cornered pans are better.) then line with pans with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.

In a large bowl, break up the almond paste with a fork. (WHEW, I have learned from experience that this is ARDUOUS and takes a LONG time. Now, I put the grater blade into my food processor and break it up real quick.) In an electric mixer, cream together the almond paste, the butter, sugar, and egg yolks. When fluffy and smooth, stir in the flour.

In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then fold them in to the dough.

Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Tint each a different color: red, green and yellow. Spread into the prepared pans so that it evenly coats the entire pan (this takes a while).

Bake 10 – 12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Remove paper with cookies from pan and allow to cool.

Place green layer on a big sheet of plastic wrap large enough to cover all the layers when they are stacked. Fit it into a 9 x 13 cookie sheet. Spread jelly to taste – you do not want too much, or your layers will slide apart from each other. Generally, 1/2 c should be enough for the entire recipe. Top jelly coated green layer with the yellow layer. Spread jelly.

Top with red layer.

See all the layers so nicely stacked?

Cover all the layers with the oversized piece of plastic wrap and seal around the edges.

Put a cutting board, or a baking sheet on top of it with some weights on top to flatten it down over night in the frig. (I just put whatever happens to be in my frig at the moment on top of the cookie sheet or cake pan that I put on top of my cookies... water bottles, a half gallon of milk, a jar of pickles, anything. Spread the weight out so it is distributed evenly.)

Remove sheet from frig and remove plastic. Top a double boiler with the chocolate chips. When completely smooth, spread on to the top of the red layer, spreading all the way to the edges.

Before it sets, generously cover with chocolate sprinkles and lightly press down with your fingers through plastic wrap.

You have no idea how excited I am that you just posted this! I used to get these cookies from a little bakery in town when I walked to my aunts house after school and I LOVED them! They are so hard to find now and I still crave them! I don't know if I have everything I need to make them, as I'm not quite the baker that you are (I usually just do cupcakes, and easy ones at that.), but I have never seen the recipe before and I am thrilled to have on in hand! Thank you so much! You just totally made my day!

I love how you put the chocolate sprinkles on top. Nice touch. I'm going to make a recipe tomorrow that's almost the same as the one you used. I couldn't find the 8 oz can of Solo almond paste so I'm just going to use Odense brand.